Anyone notice I used 3 Black Ops trailers in a row? Time Stamps: 0:00 Video Start! 0:14 Introduction 0:40 Games Focus On Mass Appeal 3:13 Game Studios Milking Series 5:00 Corporate Greed 7:43 Bigger Studio = Higher Expectations 10:04 Outro
Damn wow that’s so sad that design gets pushed to the side over money and profits. Truly the main theme in the corporate world. I’m rushed in my agency art director role and things are bound to not be as good (like glitches in game industry). Cool insight into game world, thanks for sharing!
It also doesn't help many (if not most) of the employees working on the games at AAA studios lack the same passion that indie developers have leading to games that feel like they're missing a bit of soul to them!
Just rewatched your video. At around 8.20 you showed the seesaw after the mountain. THAT IMHO illustrates it the best. The mountain gets higher and higher. But the seesaw is how our dopamine system works. Our brain constantly seeks BALANCE. Means every high needs a low and vice versa. The longer you stay in a high the longer you stay in a low but more important your brain get's less flexible to bounce back from a low to average or high. And to make it worse your average dopamine level needs more and more input to stay average. Sounds like addiction?. Because it is. Nostalgia isn't just a feeling. Our capacitiy to enjoy or getting a high was just way better. And the less highs and lows the more flexible and responsive stays our brain. That is why you probably enjoyed a game after a longer abstence and with maybe low expectation more. The inbalance and insentivity our dopamine system (and what all comes with that) can be reversed if you didn't push it too far and too long. I am generation X. No mobiles, no permission to watch TV (well, only 3 TV channels available anyway) no gaming room nothing. But I got somewhat addicted in the last 10 years for me gaming and even everything else feels less enjoyable, soulless, empty. Now imagine Generation Z or even worse Generation Alpha. There is a reason why Tech billionaires do not allow their children ANY screentime. ANY. And they have the tools and schools/homes that blockes all signals. It is the tech billionaires who are worried the most about the future of their own kids...
Yeah, just to clear out, you spoke what for now is common sense for people that has been gaming since 2000s. What you said is basically the common sense of people that will not buy AAA games AT LAUNCH because we need to know if the product is worth our time, effort and money.
I tend to wait 3-4 years before I even consider buying AAA games at this point. most recent big name game I bought was Fallout New Vegas which I picked up for $1.49
I subscribed to your channel for Dredge content. While I hope you'll continue to make Dredge videos when the DCL comes out, I'm happy to stick around for videos like this about gaming in general (not specifically about one game). Well written, easy to understand, and interesting presentation! 👏
Good job! I really do hope your video gets way more views! Yes, AAA or as I would say all "highly anticipated games" are getting more and more disappointing. And sadly - they have to fail and it is more or less calculated and even intended. Why? Around 1998 till around 2012/13 was a huge improvement in computer power. The gaming industry COULD exceed the high expectations. Nowadays that task is almost impossible and for sure not lucrative. And there is the other point. Way more scary. Because of the social media data the know exactly what triggers the customers attention. And that is the worlds most profitable source. Human attention. The golden key: dopamine spikes. How to reach the highest spikes? It is the DIFFERENCE from the lowest to the highest dopamine level. The difference not the absolute level. Games that don't reach the expectation (yes, even Elden Ring) at release will be seen as disappointing. But the game will still sell. Sure it will. With all the attention big companies can generate. But then how to sell even more? DLC, patches that make the game way better and so on. Means big games are meant to be worse at release so that they CAN exceed the expectation later on. So the game will get better - sometimes a lot better. And you are coming from a disappointing point of view or as I would say from a low dopamine spike. Now they can exceed your expectation and that makes you forget how you perceived the game release or at least you don't care anymore. How to conter? Buy AAA games not at release. Buy them when patches and/or DLC are out. I am about a year "behind". Intentional. I'm playing Elden Ring with the first DLC (guess, coming December or January). I did not even buy Diablo 4 (as a huge diablo fan). I knew it would be a disaster at release. I will buy it with DLC somewhere around season 4 or 5. So, I'm not done with AAA games - I just play them a year or two later. It sucks for pvp reasons.. but well.. that is another topic. Greetings from Swizerland. Btw... the social dilemma explains it a lot better then I can with my poor English knowledge.
Anyone notice I used 3 Black Ops trailers in a row?
Time Stamps:
0:00 Video Start!
0:14 Introduction
0:40 Games Focus On Mass Appeal
3:13 Game Studios Milking Series
5:00 Corporate Greed
7:43 Bigger Studio = Higher Expectations
10:04 Outro
Damn wow that’s so sad that design gets pushed to the side over money and profits. Truly the main theme in the corporate world. I’m rushed in my agency art director role and things are bound to not be as good (like glitches in game industry). Cool insight into game world, thanks for sharing!
It also doesn't help many (if not most) of the employees working on the games at AAA studios lack the same passion that indie developers have leading to games that feel like they're missing a bit of soul to them!
As an Indie Game Developer, I’d like to avoid a lot of these mistakes.
some of these mistakes are easier to avoid than others!
@@banshreddedcheeseTrue! I try my best to produce what I promise. I just care about people enjoying my creations.
Just rewatched your video. At around 8.20 you showed the seesaw after the mountain. THAT IMHO illustrates it the best. The mountain gets higher and higher. But the seesaw is how our dopamine system works. Our brain constantly seeks BALANCE. Means every high needs a low and vice versa. The longer you stay in a high the longer you stay in a low but more important your brain get's less flexible to bounce back from a low to average or high. And to make it worse your average dopamine level needs more and more input to stay average. Sounds like addiction?. Because it is. Nostalgia isn't just a feeling. Our capacitiy to enjoy or getting a high was just way better. And the less highs and lows the more flexible and responsive stays our brain. That is why you probably enjoyed a game after a longer abstence and with maybe low expectation more. The inbalance and insentivity our dopamine system (and what all comes with that) can be reversed if you didn't push it too far and too long. I am generation X. No mobiles, no permission to watch TV (well, only 3 TV channels available anyway) no gaming room nothing. But I got somewhat addicted in the last 10 years for me gaming and even everything else feels less enjoyable, soulless, empty. Now imagine Generation Z or even worse Generation Alpha. There is a reason why Tech billionaires do not allow their children ANY screentime. ANY. And they have the tools and schools/homes that blockes all signals. It is the tech billionaires who are worried the most about the future of their own kids...
gta 6 willl be the biggest flop and dissapointment in the gaming industry
GTA 6 and Elder Scrolls 6 have such high expectations I can’t possibly imagine they will be able to live up to them
@@banshreddedcheese exactly
Yeah, just to clear out, you spoke what for now is common sense for people that has been gaming since 2000s.
What you said is basically the common sense of people that will not buy AAA games AT LAUNCH because we need to know if the product is worth our time, effort and money.
I tend to wait 3-4 years before I even consider buying AAA games at this point. most recent big name game I bought was Fallout New Vegas which I picked up for $1.49
I subscribed to your channel for Dredge content. While I hope you'll continue to make Dredge videos when the DCL comes out, I'm happy to stick around for videos like this about gaming in general (not specifically about one game).
Well written, easy to understand, and interesting presentation! 👏
These videos take a bit longer to put together so I can’t promise how often they will be but I plan to make more in this style! Glad you enjoyed it!
9:10 used an actual tractor and trailer for this part. I’m dead 💀
I thought it was clever at least 🤷🏻♂️
very succinct and well thought out, thank you for discussing this topic!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Good job! I really do hope your video gets way more views! Yes, AAA or as I would say all "highly anticipated games" are getting more and more disappointing. And sadly - they have to fail and it is more or less calculated and even intended. Why? Around 1998 till around 2012/13 was a huge improvement in computer power. The gaming industry COULD exceed the high expectations. Nowadays that task is almost impossible and for sure not lucrative. And there is the other point. Way more scary. Because of the social media data the know exactly what triggers the customers attention. And that is the worlds most profitable source. Human attention. The golden key: dopamine spikes. How to reach the highest spikes? It is the DIFFERENCE from the lowest to the highest dopamine level. The difference not the absolute level. Games that don't reach the expectation (yes, even Elden Ring) at release will be seen as disappointing. But the game will still sell. Sure it will. With all the attention big companies can generate. But then how to sell even more? DLC, patches that make the game way better and so on. Means big games are meant to be worse at release so that they CAN exceed the expectation later on. So the game will get better - sometimes a lot better. And you are coming from a disappointing point of view or as I would say from a low dopamine spike. Now they can exceed your expectation and that makes you forget how you perceived the game release or at least you don't care anymore. How to conter? Buy AAA games not at release. Buy them when patches and/or DLC are out. I am about a year "behind". Intentional. I'm playing Elden Ring with the first DLC (guess, coming December or January). I did not even buy Diablo 4 (as a huge diablo fan). I knew it would be a disaster at release. I will buy it with DLC somewhere around season 4 or 5. So, I'm not done with AAA games - I just play them a year or two later. It sucks for pvp reasons.. but well.. that is another topic. Greetings from Swizerland. Btw... the social dilemma explains it a lot better then I can with my poor English knowledge.
Good writeup!
This video started as a 30+ minute rant that I then went back and trimmed it way down to a usable write up. Glad you enjoyed!
Good vid
Good comment
hate the writing style. too detached. not for mee
I understand. I try my best to make the video scripts personable but I still have a long way to go as a writer!